1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to common mailboxes, specifically an improved system for visibly indicating when mail has been placed into a mailbox that stands by the street or road.
2. Description of Prior Art
Some owners of mailboxes that stand beside the street, highway or road, away from the residence or business, would benefit from being able to see when mail has been placed in the mailbox. Such a signal would save unnecessary walks to the to the mailbox or unnecessary excursions from a returning vehicle. A number of United States patents have been issued for devices that expose a visible component when the mailbox door is opened for mail delivery and then closed.
Design Pat. No. 335,747 (1993, Dearing and Walker) covers a device that pushes a metal flag from a position on the side of the mailbox, which flag then hangs below to become a visible signal.
U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 314,852 (1991, Taylor): 5,123,590 (1992, Teele); 5,119,986 (1992, Kobilarcik and Weyer); 5,094,386 (1992, Tabacco); 4,524,905 (1985, Crist) and 4,491,268 (1985, Faulkingham) describe spring or coil mounted flags on top of, or on the side of, the mailbox that must be put in the horizontal position and held there by the closed mailbox door and, when the door is opened, are released to the vertical and visible position. Somewhat similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,953,783 (1990, Chambers) and 3,815,811 (1974, Harmon) describe a pivoting flag attached to the side of and near the bottom of the mailbox and held horizontal by a hook on the mailbox door. Opening the mailbox door disengages the hook from the flag, allowing it to pivot downward and become visible to the owner.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 260,319 (1981, Kuntz) is for a spherical object connected by a chain to the mailbox door, said object being hung on a protrusion on the mailbox door until the door is opened, at which time the object falls and becomes visibly suspended below the mailbox by the connecting chain. In 1994, a somewhat similar device was patented (U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,295, Steinfeldt).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,207 (1993, S. C. Johnson) is for a device attached to the mailbox door latches that changes position, producing a delivery signal, when the mailbox door is opened and closed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,843 (1993, Deakyne) describes a battery powered electrical alarm, i.e., light, that is turned on by a switch mounted to the mailbox and connected to the mailbox door, said alarm being actuated when the door is opened and closed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,465 (1993, Limehouse) is for a mailbox mounted on a hollow platform containing a lever that is actuated by opening the mailbox door, thereby exposing, to the owner's view, a signal rod mounted at the rear of the mailbox.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,517 (1992, Jeffries and Harper) is for a flag plate hinged to the underneath surface of a mailbox and held horizontally and out of sight by a rod connected to the mailbox door, said rod being pushed away from the flag plate when the door is opened, allowing the flag plate to fall to a visible, vertical position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,386 (1988, Phillion) describes a flexible cable attached at one end to the inside of the mailbox door and at the other end to a pivotal flag assembly which is raised to a visible, vertical position by opening the door, remaining in that position until manually returned to the hidden position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,874 (1975, Arwood) describes a mechanism mounted inside the mailbox, consisting of a spring loaded, sliding rod that exposes a signal atop the mailbox when the door is opened.
The devices described above, as well as numerous other patented devices designed to accomplish the same purpose, generally have the following disadvantages:
(a) They require tools and some degree of mechanical skill to install on the mailbox.
(b) They require two free hands to reset the device.
(c) They are undesirably conspicuous on the mailbox at all times.
(d) Many have metal parts that can rust in the outdoors.
(e) Their metal parts must be manufactured using machine tools.
(f) The devices are difficult to be made unnoticeable when the owner is absent for several days.
(g) Some devices include attachments to the outside of the mailbox door that interfere with the postman as he/she opens the door.